August 29, 2008

McCain VP pick makes the mind wobble

Huh??

It's alarmingly true that you never know what the hell McCain's going to do or say, and his habit of erratic and sometimes baffling direction changes is well established. The guy's a wild-card, a loose cannon who swerves from this direction to that often for no apparent reason. He touts his judgement, but makes horrible decisions on a regular basis.

Now he's further cemented that erratic reputation in his choice for vice president.

WTF??

That's pretty much the universal reaction upon hearing that Sen. John McCain has picked a first term governor of Alaska, a mother of 5 who only two years ago was mayor of a tiny town, a virtually unknown woman, as the person who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

And with a fossil like McCain, the odds she might actually end up as leader of the free world are not small. The idea that this woman could end up leading America at this dangerous and critical time in history should make any sane person shudder. Obviously, with this pick, McCain decided to toss that serious responsibility out the window.

McCain always tells us he puts country first over political ambitions. But with this pick he shows clearly that as far as the solemn duty to ensure the country is lead by an able leader in case he can't finish his term, McCain clearly put his political ambition ahead of the country's safety and well-being.

McCain has just picked Danielle Quayle as vice president.

One wonders what the hell they were thinking, but not for too long, as the pick is a huge blunder and if that's what they want to do, then fine. Give 'em enough rope, etc.

Better pick a virtually unknown governor (I can't remember her name at the moment.)who's currently under ethics investigations for abuse of office, who only two years ago was the mayor of a tiny town in Alaska,and who's considered even further to the right than McCain on social issues.

In making this pick, McCain is making the clear statement that the former mayor of Aledo or Orion is entirely qualified to become President of the United States.

But Obama doesn't have enough experience? Wave bye-bye to that argument.

Kay Bailley Huchinson was talked about. An experienced and respected Senator from Texas. But McCain didn't want any woman that might make him look bad, and reportedly had some personal grudge against Huchinson.

So they thought a woman would be just the thing. And they came up with... whatsername.

Yeah. That's the ticket! (literally.)

Historians will look back at this as the moment where the McCain candidacy officially jumped the tracks.

The McCain camp must have been crapping their collective pants after watching the Dem convention and been so terrified that they made this decision in a panic.

The only rationale for this bizarre pick seems to be a misguided appeal to Hillary supporters. The McCain campaign is apparently so desperate that they feel that his only hope for success is to somehow poach former Hillary supporters. And they were willing to throw away their VP pick on an utterly inexperienced zero as long as she was a female, thinking that's all it would take.

Women, they seem to be saying, are so simple-minded that any woman will satisfy them. Doesn't matter if she's a rabid right winger and supports everything they oppose. Women will be so stupid that they'll vote for a ticket with a woman simply because there's a woman, any woman, on the ballot.

Palin, I guess that's her name, even made a glowing reference to Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro in her comments after being picked, complete with the reference to the female Hillary supporters as "18 million cracks". (Does anyone else cringe every time they hear Hillary or anyone else refer to her female supporters as "cracks"?? Seems like a very unfortunate euphemism.)

This is the typical clueless Republian disrespect for women's intelligence. A simple-minded and stupid view of women voters and Hillary supporters as if they're mindless monolithic dupes who only supported Hillary because she was female, period, not because they fervently believed in her policy positions, causes, and political views.

They cynically believe that unhappy Clinton supporters will blindly vote for McCain on the basis that he has a VP candidate who lacks a Y chromosome, and totally ignoring that she's anti-choice, anti-health care, pro-oil, pro-war, anti-gay and further to the right than McCain himself. Brilliant!

The McCain campaign is trotting out the decidedly icky Heather Wilson, an arch conservative, to defend this pick. When the female reporter asked her if she could really envision this woman as president, Wilson replied, "I'm surprised to hear a woman ask that."

As if all woman should mindlessly believe any woman would automatically be a qualified president. Wilson was amazed that any woman would so much as question whether a complete rookie politician would be a good president. This completely confirms the contempt and simple-minded cynicism with which the Republicans view women voters. (But really, what do you expect when their candidate volunteers his wife for an ass-shaking, simulated sex act contest at a biker rally?)

All I can say is, good luck Republicans. But then again, Republicans live on the belief that you can fool all of the people, all of the time.

All I can say is.... well done, senator. Well done!

Bring on the vice-presidential debate!

Somewhere, Dan Quayle is smiling.

He always knew he'd be redeemed someday.

Waddaya think of McCain's brilliant pick?

**EXTRA**This just in from right wing flying monkeys everywhere. Palin is a true HERO because she actually gave birth to a Downs Syndrome baby! Yes, that's right, she's HEROIC for actually bearing a child with a disability!

It's all over for Obama.

And even though this Downs Syndrome baby is still a three month old infant, anyone that dares to wonder how she's going to provide for the child if she's living 2000 miles away in D.C. and vice pres, is a horrible sexist! Why, there's plenty of mothers who have a family and a career! Republicans believe in "family values" and a woman should be able to be a mother and have a career. Anyone questioning how a mother could choose a political position which would require her to essentially abandon her Downs Syndrome infant and make it impossible to provide the care necessary is a horrible person.

Also, if it were a male, no one would question this, so it's not fair.

Breaking news: All liberal/Democratic women abort their Downs Syndrome babies! Every one of them! They all abort children with Downs Syndrome!! All liberals abort babies with disabilities!!!

Palin is a HERO for actually bearing this child! Liberals would have aborted it!!!

This news sure to have a large impact on the election. Or at least right wing idiots who are too stupid to breath.

~~~~~~~~~ANSWER: Once

QUESTION: How many times did McCain meet Palin before making her his V.P.

Palin is a brilliant choice. Remember, being a governor of a state (any state, big or small) means executive experience. That is the best preparation for President. I realize that she only has 2 years as an executive but that is 2 more years than Barack Obama has. And Gov. Palin has a great record the past 2 years as governor, compared to Obama's 4 years as a US Senator where he has done absolutely nothing.

You are just bitter because liberals wanted McCain to make a predictable and boring choice like Pawlenty, Ridge, or Romney and you were ready to line up and bash him. But it didn't work out that way. Ha Ha! McCain made a superb choice. Sarah Palin's background will please conservatives and she is appealing to the Hillary voters who know they were robbed. And you know it!!

Frumpy old Kay Bailey Hutchinson would have been a disastrous choice. Yikes, Democrats would have loved that.

I predict that in 48 hours, you and many other liberals will start calling Palin names, ("conservative nut job", etc) but really, you would say that about everybody. I mean come on, would there have been any Republican that McCain picked that you would have liked?? You would be bashing whoever McCain picked for veep - just the kind of adversarial partisan politics that your precious Obama denounces.

And of course, I wouldn't have gushed about anyone McCain picked. Why in the hell do you folks nearly demand that I like Republicans and what they stand for?

I mean it's nuts! Why in the world am I expected to sing praises of people I strongly disagree with and whom I feel have damaged our country nearly beyond repair?

And if I don't, you come around to snear that I'm "partisan"?

Give me a freaking break, will ya? Yes, I AM partisan. That's not a sin, to my knowledge. I support politicians that tend to support ideals and policies that I support.

So freaking sue me! I'll never understand why you righties think that it somehow makes sense to attack someone for being "partisan", when by doing so, YOU'RE being "partisan" yourself!

Seems kind of dumb, sorry.

And you're pretty sharp. You know Palin has done all sorts of extreme right wing things, like supporting the "bridge to nowhere" (before she flip-flopped.) and has championed the shooting of wild wolves from planes and helicopters and was in favor of allowing people to shoot bears this way as well.

She's in favor of outlawing abortion in ALL cases, even rape or incest, and on and on.

I guess if anyone even mentions those out there and unpopular positions she holds, they're "bashing" her, huh?

What a shame when people tell the truth, as opposed to making shit up or trying to suggest that the candidate deeply shares the views of every person they've ever met, like Republicans try with Obama, trying to tie him to the sins of someone he knows that were committed when Obama was FOUR YEARS OLD. (Ayers.) It's non-sense.

And it's a fact, perhaps one you don't like to dwell on, that Palin is arguably the least qualified candidate for vice president IN HISTORY.

She admits that she really doesn't have any views on Iraq, because she "hasn't given it much thought."

And you think it's just peachy.

How 'bout that?

At least you're not as idiotic as Fox's Steve Douchy, who tried to argue that Palin has foreign policy experience because she was governor of a state that was "up there by Russia."

Oooooooo kaaaaaaaaay.

When a right wing flack has to resort to that sort of reasoning, you KNOW it's trouble.

And women aren't going to fall for this transparent ploy, I hate to disappoint you.

As I noted, it's treating them as thought they're mindless idiots. As though they dont' care about the issues of importance to them, like the war, health care, equal pay, and all the others where Palin is in direct opposition to the issues most important to women.As if they're so bubble-headed that as long as a candidate has a vagina, they're RIGHT THERE voting for them.

Non-sense. You're dreaming if you think such an incredibly cynical ploy is going to work.

Sure, some wack-o's who say they were for Clinton will vote McCain, but they would have done so no matter who McCain picked.

Palin brings next to no women voters. You can't polish a turd, as the saying goes, and you can't shove a woman out front and pretend that she reflects the views of most women when she clearly doesn't.

And the thought that I'm just pissed because of this brilliant move by McCain is a hoot!

I didn't much give a shit about who he picked. Hadn't even given it much thought at all. I figured he'd go with Romney simply because it would have been a wise political move. Beyond that, I hadn't even thought about it. I didn't give a damn, honestly.

But this choice is so ridiculous and reckless that it boggles the mind. You may think it's bold, but many people think it's insane.

Congratulations, you brought all the evangelical zealots back into the fold. Good. At best, they would have stayed home. They sure as hell wouldn't have voted Dem, so the effect is negligible.

And when Americans learn more about Palin's whacky arch-consevative record and views... independents aren't going to be flocking to the McCain camp either.

As an incredibly cynical political move, made in fear and desperation, a hail mary pass, it may have it's points.

Biden won't be able to gut her the way he would have gutted a male pick. I guess that's a plus, in a warped way.

She generates some buzz for a few days.

Beyond that, I see no advantage whatsoever.

Just wait until she says something outrageous, which should be any day.

And the fact that McCain announces this while standing at a podium with a sign reading "Country first" is nothing short of shameless.

If he put "country first" he never would have been as irresponsible as to pick some mayor of a hick town to guide the country in the even he couldn't serve.

It's as though someone walked around spouting about how they ALWAYS put their children first, and then they name John Wayne Gacy as the children's god-father.

Geraldine Ferraro says that there are a lot of disaffected Hillary voters whom Palin will appeal to. (Gerry had 6 years in the House when Fritz Mondale picked her for VP)

Being partisan doesn't mean that you have to be nasty and call people names. For example, Joe Biden is a solid, respectable choice and I said that when Obama picked him, even though there's no way in hell I am voting Obama-Biden. But when Biden was picked, I commended the choice. I did not automatically start calling him names, just as you called Palin a "turd" among other things. If being on the other side means abandoning civility, then I guess you missed Obama's speech about the "new politics". McCain's tv ad last night, now that showed some class.

And if you think that race is irrelevant to why Obama is the nominee, then why didn't Democrats nominate Biden for President in the first place?

I never called Palin a "turd" as you falsely assert. I used that term in an expression to illustrate that you can't pretend something is something it's not, and you know it. I could have said you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear too. But then you'd say I was calling her a pig.

You're grasping at straws.

And yes, you've been even-handed in your comments about Biden. But then again, other than being verbose, what's there to hammer him about? Too much experience?

The fact that you're so annoyed at the fact that I have only pointed out the obvious about Palin baffles me.

Because you didn't have any huge problems with Biden, now I'm supposed to pretend that McCain's pick wasn't reckless and desperate?

Am I, like some in the press, expected to pretend that it somehow makes sense? That Palin is well-qulified to stand ready to assume the postition of leader of the free world?

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